Spray booth

Abstract

The present application is directed to a spray booth comprising a first enclosure for applying spray material and a second enclosure for drying spray material. An exhaust system is in fluid connection with the first and second enclosures. A fire suppression system is in fluid connection with at least one component chosen from the first enclosure, the second enclosure and the exhaust system. A processor is in data communication with at least one component chosen from the spray enclosure, the drying enclosure, the exhaust system and the fire suppression system.

1. A self-contained spray booth that enables a component to be painted at or near a production line in a manufacturing facility having interior ambient air, the spray booth comprising:
 a first enclosure in which the component is painted; 
 an exhaust system in pneumatic connection with the first enclosure and including:
 a filtering subsystem configured to filter the air from the first enclosure; and 
 a venting subsystem configured to vent the filtered air to the interior ambient air of the manufacturing facility; and 
 
 a fire suppression system, in fluid connection with the first enclosure, comprising a control mechanism, a fire suppressant chamber, and one or more sensors positioned in the spray booth and capable of triggering the control mechanism thereby initiating a flow of fire suppressant from the fire suppressant chamber. 
 
   
   
     2. The spray booth of  claim 1 , further comprising a frame structure including a plurality of wheels. 
   
   
     3. The spray booth of  claim 1 , wherein the first enclosure comprises one or more air intake filters to reduce filter particulates. 
   
   
     4. The spray booth of  claim 1 , wherein the first enclosure comprises one or more sacrificial filters to capture overspray. 
   
   
     5. The spray booth of  claim 1 , wherein the first enclosure comprises a robotic arm and a part holder configured to hold and manipulate the component during painting. 
   
   
     6. The spray booth of  claim 1 , wherein the first enclosure is enclosed on all sides. 
   
   
     7. The spray booth of  claim 1 , wherein the first enclosure comprises at least one open side to allow one or more operators to access an interior of the first enclosure while the component is being painted. 
   
   
     8. The spray booth of  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust system comprises an air plenum chamber configured to divert exhaust air flow vertically upward and exhaust it from the spray booth. 
   
   
     9. The spray booth of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first air pressure sensor positioned in the exhaust system upstream of the filtering subsystem; 
 a second air pressure sensor positioned in the exhaust system downstream of the filtering subsystem; 
 means for determining a pressure differential between the first and second air pressure sensors; and 
 means for communicating the pressure differential to an operator. 
 
   
   
     10. The spray booth of  claim 9 , wherein the means for determining a pressure differential comprises at least one pitot tube. 
   
   
     11. The spray booth of  claim 1 , wherein the filtering subsystem comprises a NESHAP filter, a HEPA filter, and a carbon filter. 
   
   
     12. The spray booth of  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust system comprises one or more air flow rate sensors. 
   
   
     13. The spray booth of  claim 1 , wherein the fire suppression system comprises:
 the fire suppressant chamber having the control mechanism for controlling the flow of fire suppressant from the fire suppressant chamber; 
 the one or more sensors positioned in the spray booth and capable of triggering the control mechanism, thereby initiating the flow of the fire suppressant from the fire suppressant chamber. 
 
   
   
     14. The spray booth of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more heat sensors. 
   
   
     15. A self-contained spray booth that enables a component to be painted at or near a production line in a manufacturing facility having interior ambient air, the spray booth comprising:
 a first enclosure in which the component is painted; 
 an exhaust system in pneumatic connection with the first enclosure and including:
 (a) a filtering subsystem configured to filter the air from the first enclosure; and 
 (b) a venting subsystem configured to vent the filtered air to the interior ambient air of the manufacturing facility; 
 
 a second enclosure in which the painted component is dried, wherein the exhaust system is in fluid connection with the second enclosure so that the air from the second enclosure is filterable and ventable to the interior ambient air of the manufacturing facility; 
 and at least one of: (1) the second enclosure comprises a part chamber and a heating chamber including a heating element; (2) the second enclosure comprises one or more sensors configured to detect the presence of a component and to signal a processor to prevent activation of a heating element within the second enclosure until a component is present; or (3) a processor is configured to control processing operations in the first enclosure and the second enclosure and to regulate the flow of exhaust air through the exhaust system. 
 
   
   
     16. The spray booth of  claim 15 , wherein the second enclosure comprises the part chamber and the heating chamber including the heating element. 
   
   
     17. The spray booth of  claim 16 , wherein the heating element comprises an infrared bulb. 
   
   
     18. The spray booth of  claim 15 , wherein the second enclosure comprises the one or more sensors configured to detect the presence of the component and to signal the processor to prevent activation of the heating element within the second enclosure until the component is present. 
   
   
     19. The spray booth of  claim 15 , wherein the second enclosure is positioned below the first enclosure and is angled at about 45°. 
   
   
     20. The spray booth of  claim 15 , wherein the second enclosure is positioned at approximately a same height level as the first enclosure. 
   
   
     21. The spray booth of  claim 15 , further comprising the processor configured to control processing operations in the first enclosure and the second enclosure and to regulate the flow of exhaust air through the exhaust system. 
   
   
     22. The spray booth of  claim 21 , wherein the processor comprises a programmable logic controller.